On Shamari Earls' spring

Yeah, I think Shamari has done a good job of getting here in January, trying to put it all together. You know, he didn't play his senior season, got hurt in preseason as a senior. So, it's been a lot on him. I think he's been pushing through. He's a tough kid, his parents, former in the military, both of them. So, I think that kid is just, you know, he's a pleaser, asking all the right questions. Trying to get better each and every day. So, I think it's a lot on Shamari. Just, you know, he has a lot of confidence in himself, but he also doesn't want to let anybody down. Doesn't want to let us down, doesn't want to head coach down, doesn't want to let Michigan down. He just puts a lot of pressure on himself, which is, you know, it's a good trade if he can balance it all. But I'm excited about Shamar.

On Earls' physical skills

Yeah, Shamari is a tall, long guy. You know, I think Michigan every year for the last couple years has at least had one or two guys that way. So, I think the combination of being, you know, over 6'1", around 200 pounds, and also ran in the 10s in high school allows him to be a unique player. He's kind of like Bambi sometimes because he's just so long and he has to figure it out. But I'm really excited about him.

On the defensive backs being positionless and who could fill that role

Yeah, I think this spring's been pretty good because every day at the star position that we played last year, we've been using one a day, to let the corners play it. The next day, we've let the safeties play it. So, T.J. Metcalf, Zeke Barry, Suge, Mason Curtis, Jacob Oden, Lowe. Like we had a lot of guys playing nickel each day. We just try to rotate it through so we can add some depth at that position. You know, I think each week that position can kind of change, right? Zeke played it earlier in the year. Then in the last four or five games, Makari played it. Probably had some of the best games he had at Michigan doing that. So, I just think we just got to try to create depth. The best way you do that is find roles for the current guys on your team. Let guys feel like they're starters and stuff like that. I think that's really important.

On his thoughts on the Metcalf brothers

Yeah, I think those kids do a good job. His parents, it starts with his mom and dad. They're the elite people. You know, Jesse and those guys recruited him a little bit here. I always clown Jesse, they didn't take him. So, we took him. But, you know, those kids are focused, man. They're here all the time. In between class, they'll eat breakfast. They want to watch tape on their own. You might walk by the meeting room and they're just in there watching tape, very critical of themselves. I just think they have a maturity about them. I think that comes from mom and dad. You know, they love football. The pedigree of that family with D.K. and that family, they're just really appreciative of being at Michigan. The way that we do things, you know, the detail, you know, the focus on winning championships. I just think they want to do their part to help us get there. But those kids are, they have a bright future, and I'm really excited to see both of those guys. You know, if you watch practice or, you know, every practice, one or both of them are going to make a play. It's like, man, that's, oh, that's just the Metcalf boys again. So, I think that's pretty cool to see.

On what Caleb Anderson brings to the program

Well, I think here it's a little bit different when you go get guys in the portal. I think the thing that you got to be careful of is you got to understand this is Michigan with the academic piece, the standards of being able to focus on and off the field. You got to be more than just a football player here. I think that's what's kind of attractive. Knowing Caleb as a grad transfer, understanding that he's going to do well academically, he's going to be tall and long, he can run. He was a high school quarterback, could have went to Utah or Virginia out of high school when we signed him at UL. So, I brought Caleb to UL. So, kind of know what he can do. He's not a finished product. He still needs to get better. I think he kind of saw what kind of way it happened with Aamir, right? He came here, it took him a little bit, but then at the end of the year for Aamir, he played. Without Aamir, we wouldn't have finished the season the way we did. I mean, he played lights out the last three games, and I hope that gives him a great shot moving forward. So, I just think that's what people know. You know, every year here, from Josh Wallace to now Amir, it would be cool if it was Caleb the next guy, right? You come here for the right reasons. You got your degree. You come here for the grad program, and you get a chance to compete against the best week in and week out. So, that's kind of what I see Caleb as. A guy that's 6'2", 200 pounds, that can run, athletic. That's kind of what I think Caleb can help us with.

On what is different from this defensive scheme

Yep. Well, I think the thing that's different is the guy that calls it, and then I think the coach is in the system. So, I think the system in place, it's all the same for the kids. So, I think that's the unique thing, right? If you've been here four or five years, Rod Moore, I was watching his freshman cut-ups the other day, and he was a baller. Glad to get him back. But it's different each year. So, I think that just Wink's personality versus Mike versus Jesse, but I think the basis of it is that, right? So, Wink's going to look at after spring football and fall camp, what can we do well, and he's just going to use those things. So, if we're a more man team, we're going to play more man. If we can't play man, be more zone. If we need to blitz more, we can. I mean, we had the best two D-tackles in the country last year. No offense. You could call a lot of different things with those two guys in there. So, I just think that's what makes the defense a little bit more unique is it's a lot of stuff that you can do. You just got to pull each week the right stuff to do, if that makes sense with that. And then you've got to look at our players. I always say this, and I know somebody, I might get, you know, ridiculed a little bit about it, but we had a lot of guys last year, and they were a part of the national championship team. They were a part. But I don't know the roles on that national championship team were like starter roles. So, you're kind of there, but you weren't in the fire. And I think last year we gave a lot of guys a chance to get in the fire so they know how much they need to get to where they need to go, right? So, like Wilf Johnson, he was part of the national championship team. He was the MVP. He played every week. But there's some guys that just may be on special teams, but they still remember we won a national championship. But did they put enough work in each week as a position player and not just on special teams? So, I think that's where the defense is kind of like buying into understanding like it's however Ernie is a leader, those guys have to take the team to the next step, right? Coaches will do so much, but it's got to be player-led. And I think this offseason, that's kind of what you'll see, the message when you all talk to our players. I know you all do a great job with them, but there's a lot of ownership in that locker room right now. And I think that's the best way. That's how you win.

On Wink being with the program for another year

Yeah, I think anything that you do, you know, is kind of, you know, shout out to my wife. Once you get married, right, in 10 years, 11 years, and next year it keeps getting better. And I really believe that. And you get kids and all that, they just get better. They don't listen, but they just get better. But I think you just got the whole staff here again. I think the kids are, you understand what's going on. You're not asking so many questions. How do you want this? How do you want that? We already know kind of what Wink wants. And if not, we can give him suggestions and he can agree. I think anytime you have a staff where, you know, 9 out of 10 full-time coaches are back, I think that's huge. I just think it makes our kids feel familiar. The kids know when I'm going to be upset that day because I practiced the day before was bad. I don't have to say anything. I walk in the room, they know. It's different when you have a lot of turnover on staff. So I think that's not fair to kids, but that's the business that we live in now. So I think that's what kind of helped our guys too. I think our kids, from the young guys to the freshmen that we recruited, the guys that we developed that maybe didn't get to play, I think everybody feels like everybody's all in and everybody's on the same page. I think that's a great question. I think that's going to help everybody.

On how much Mason Curtis has split his reps and where he is better suited

I think Mason can do a lot. You know, I always talk about Makari Page. You always talk about he thinks Mason can be better than him just because he's a young player. I really like that Mason has played outside linebacker in high school and he played receiver and he played receiver here for like a couple days and then I got him and I was excited about that. I think Mason can do a lot. I think Mason's still growing with his body. He's so big and tall and all that, and, you know, he's a unique kid. You know, he's big in his faith. Whenever you all talk to him, you should talk to him about it. It's pretty cool. He talked to Mason Curtis. His mom's done a great job. That family's been through adversity, and I think that's what fuels that kid. But, you know, this spring, to me, I've been repping a lot of guys with a lot of groups. I try to make sure everybody gets enough reps with the ones, enough guys get reps with the twos, and just like try to give everybody an opportunity. I think that's what you want in the spring, to see like what people are doing with their opportunities. So now you can kind of build what you want to do around there. But Mason's been playing. I would say every day he's probably playing 60 to maybe 60 to 40 high safety versus nickel because we have some other guys do that too. So I think Mason will do both next year. I think in the first game you'll probably see him playing nickel and safety, both safeties left and right in the back end and playing nickel.

On how unique it is for a player of Curtis' size to play as a DB

Yeah, I think it is unique. I think some of the limitations that you might have because you're so tall, they're his advantage as well, right? Like he might not be 4'4", but he's 6'4 plus and he has long arms. So I think it's all – it's like a weighted scale for him a little bit. So, you know, he's a little longer, so he might not be as twitchy as maybe a smaller guy, but he can cover a lot of ground. So I'm really excited about Mason. I know maybe at the end of the year, last year, I kind of told you I thought he was going to be a guy that's going to be a really good player. And I think he's just started. His career here is just starting. Mason will be special.

On how close Rod Moore is to returning and whether he's been involved in the spring

Yeah, Rod's doing a good job. You know, Rod's working, does a lot of stuff downstairs in the training room, athletic room, does a lot of stuff with our guys, meeting extra. Rod's really close. You know, we just try to be fair to Rod and his family and all that stuff. Just, you know, just giving the guy time. And you don't want to rush a guy back. I mean, he poured a lot in this program. There's a lot of seasons without Rod Moore. I don't know if everybody here is excited as much without him. I mean, that dude made some big-time plays. So we're just trying to be – you know, he knows how important he is to our program, but we also don't want to be the one that's forcing him to do something before he's ready to go. But we encourage him. I mean, he's here all the time. I mean, he lives in this building. He's about to graduate, which is a credit to him. So he's all in. He's going to have a big-time year.

On the growth he's seen from Jyaire Hill in spring

Yeah, I know y'all covered Jyaire, so Jyaire is still as silly as y'all see him. But Jyaire is growing up because I think he knows the time is now, right? You can – I mean, every kid develops at their own pace. I think sometimes you want your kids to do something better. Like you want your kid to go walk a little faster, but they're going to walk when they need to walk. So I think that's kind of what Jyaire is. He's just growing up, trying to be a leader, trying to be focused. He's playing some nickel as well. I just think it's his time to take it to the next step. You know, I think last year he played pretty solid besides some of the, you know, double moves. I mean, you're on the other side of the wheel. You're going to get challenged a little bit. And I think he's moving in the right direction. I've been really pleased with him. His mom don't play around, so she's all over him. And I think that's a credit to her and his dad too. So his brothers and sisters, you'll see them up here during spring game. They love Michigan more than anybody else. So I'm really excited about Suge and his growth.

On whether he's noticing the defense being tested more by the offense

Yeah, I think the receivers, I think they've always done a good job. I think the offense, Coach Lindsey and everybody on that side of the ball, have done a great job of challenging us more. You know, they still do what y'all used to with the smash mouth football, but throwing the ball around the yard, you know, these guys can make throws from the opposite hash on an 18-yard comeback and the ball's on the money. You've got to defend the whole grass with this offense, which I think is always good. You know, they can go tempo and they can slow it down. They can get an 11-12 personnel and still do all the different sets. So I think that's what's unique now. I mean, they're doing a really good job. We've got a lot of young guys stepping up. You know, every day somebody does something special. I know people talk about Jamar. Then you talk about Marsh. Then you talk about McCulley. Then Fred Moore is doing a great job. You know, I'm biased to all the receivers. We go against them. Those are probably my favorite group on the team, you know, besides my guys, of course, but those guys have done a great job competing, being physical in the run game. Coach Bellamy, Coach Soup, and Tuttle has done a great job with the receivers. So there's a lot of really good battles. We're not going to get good if we don't get better on both sides of the ball. Right? So, you know, when they won a natty here, they had the most depth probably. I mean, the DBs, their backups were like pros. I mean, you know what I'm saying? So, like, I mean, if we can get that back and get that being very competitive, that's how you win. We've got to have the most competitive roster in college football. So that's kind of our goal.

On whether the wide receiver group looks different

Yeah, I think those guys grow up a little bit. You know, I think even Coach Casula with the tight ends, I think those guys have grown up. You know, Klein and Hogan and Zach and Hoffman, I mean, those guys, I mean, they're catching balls one-on-ones. I mean, it's not like you're just suffocating them every day at practice. You know, it's a constant battle going back and forth. You know, of course, on defense, if you talk to the defense coaches, we'll say that we're getting after them if you talk to them. You know, that's part of it. So coaches are competing and players are too. So I think there's some good, good back and forth. And I think that's how you get a really good team.

On Jacob Oden's development

Yeah, Jacob Oden was kind of like the jack-of-all-trades early in the spring. Not in the spring, but last year. So it probably wasn't fair to him. What I mean by that is, like, he just would play corners some days and play high safety and play nickel. This spring we try to just let him focus on playing nickel and safety. He's done a good job. You know, last year he redshirted, but he was able to play in those four games on special teams. I think his role can increase if he just stays the course and stays focused. But he's been working hard. I mean, he knows the defense back and forward, and he's been really working hard. You know, you would love for Jacob Oden, these guys, or the local guys around here to continue to do well. And I think that's kind of what we have done here.

On Brandyn Hillman's development

Yeah, I think B. Hillman is a kid that's very unique. You know, high school quarterback came in here and just was trying to just learn everything. I think that's what's kind of hard a little bit. You know, these kids develop. It takes them a little bit. You know, it's different if you are playing DB your whole career, but you go to a place like Michigan, the best of the best, and then you've got to go play safety and you've got to backpedal instead of just playing quarterback. Him and Bryce be throwing catch all the time outside. I mean, the kid is super athletic. Hillman will be a guy that's going to play one of the high safeties for us, and then we'll mix in some nickel for him as well. Right now he's focused a little bit more on safety just because his roles has increased there. But you saw the best of him last year with just what he can do, the physicality, throwing his body around, and all that. I mean, he plays with no – I mean, he just plays crazy sometimes, right? So he just runs through people. He's going to be physical, trying to play more control and not just be a one-trick pony. I think that's what you've got to understand. You can't – you only get one body until the good Lord comes back. So the body that you've got, you've got to take care of it. And I think that's where he's got to understand when it's a big-time knockout shot and when he just needs to get the guy on the ground. But if you watch the tape, I mean, he's trying to knock somebody out every play. So I was just trying to say that as cleanly and correctly as I could. But that's what he does.

On DBs playing with technique

Well, I think that's a great question. I've got a lot of respect for those guys. I kind of study a lot of defensive back play because we have different kids from different heights and weights and stuff. My thing is just getting your foot underneath you, underneath your butt. I always tell them get your plant foot underneath your butt, and then I want you to point your toe in a direction. So to me, I just want to get you cycling through. So I think you can do both. I think some kids do on wet surfaces sometimes. But to me, it's just non-wasted movement and how fast you can transition. But we try to give our guys a toolbox, and if their tools ain't working, they're going to use ours. But we try to give them a couple things that they can do to try to be successful because one kid might be 6'1", 185 pounds, Mason's 6'4", over 200 pounds. It's not going to look the same. I know Rod says he's 6'. Y'all met Rod. But everybody looks a little different. So I want the guys to have their own ownership as well. But I also want to make sure that what we're doing is technical sound and fundamentally sound and all that. So I think both guys have a point. I got too much stuff at home to worry about, but worry about what they're doing. But yeah, I saw that a little bit too going back and forth. Two heck of a players to be even in that conversation going back and forth about what techniques work. So I think they would know.

On Jaden Mangham's spring

Yeah, I like Mangham. He kind of got a hard spot. I think next time y'all talk to him, you can kind of ask him about the adjustment of coming to Michigan. I think you come to any school when you're a starter at another school, you think you're going to walk into a place and it's just going to come easy, whether you're a freshman or not. Then he got hurt a little bit during fall camp, which that wasn't good for him. And, you know, he ended up redshirting. So there's probably some added pressure on him. You're a starter at another school, you come here and you redshirt. But I think he's done a great job this last scrimmage. He probably had five really good tackles, running the alley, being physical. He has range. His role will definitely be increased this year. We're excited about Mangham. He's smart, graduating. I'm excited about him. I think he can help us for sure.

On his thoughts on Bryce Underwood

Yeah, I think Bryce is a unique kid. I think the stuff that y'all see on the field will be, you know, y'all be excited about it, but I don't think y'all understand this kid's out there all day long. Him, both quarterbacks, they're just out there all day long working on what they need to do pre-practice, tempering, getting ready for practice, working on his drops, up here at meeting by himself, texting coaches about, hey, how are we doing this? I just think the preparation for a young kid like that is pretty unique because a lot of the great players, they have it in between their ears, and I think that's what he has. But the arm talent is as good as advertised. You know, he's big, strong, physical, a leader, working hard. And then J.D. has done a great job as well. Those guys have been competing. Some days one goes with the ones. They go back and forth every other day. Coach is doing a really good job with those two. So I'm excited about him. But Bryce is. I mean, both of those quarterbacks have done great. I mean, the throwing and catching this spring has been good for both sides, right? So we're not defending a deep ball. We're not going to get good at playing the ball in the air if they're just doing quick game. You know, we can have some false confidence if we're sitting on some routes, and that's not how it's going to be on game day, as you all know. People are going to challenge us.

On Brandyn Hillman being third-string QB

No, he might. If you talk to him, he thinks he could probably be the starter here. But right now I'm trying to get my guy just to focus. He's done a great job of focusing on school and focused on his beautiful daughter and just trying to do it all together. But B. Hillman is a talented kid. You know, he plays with aggression, as we always talked about. But all that anger, he's just a mean guy sometimes, and I got to get him focused on just staying focused throughout a series of a game. But he has grown up, man. I think that's the beauty of Michigan. You can get a kid from different backgrounds and different states where their life is. It can be hard. It can be tough, wherever they're at. I think this place does change you for the better. It doesn't matter if you're rich, poor, black, white, whatever your nationality is, I think Michigan, that's what makes this place unique. People from all over the world can come here and be on a great team with a great university and a great city and guys become a family. I think that's what college football is really all about anyway.

On Jyaire Hill combating double moves

I think Jyaire, the double moves to me is not really knowing all the different coverages and stuff like that, just understanding where his help is. I think now by moving him around, playing nickel and stuff, he kind of sees where his help is going to be at times. I think that's just a growth thing. You've got a lot of pressure playing inside the best corner in college football, and you're going to get tried a little bit more. So I think now he just kind of understands that more. I tell guys, once you put it on tape, that's your resume. We all know the season, right? So you all be looking at the first time he gets hit with a double move, you'll say it's the old Suge. But I'm excited about Jyaire working hard at his craft and challenging himself. I still think he has extra gear that he doesn't know yet because he's just a young player. He's just a registered sophomore. But if he can stay focused, he'll be a really good high draft pick one day if he can stay focused. We've got several young pros that are not ready yet, but when it's all said and done, we've got some pros on our team that just got to continue to keep working and stay in focus.

On how to temper aggression when someone is overly aggressive on defense

Well, I always tell – let me see if I can say this correctly. So we have this one-year-old at home. He's awesome, right? Potty training, awesome. And when he gets mad, he likes to hit all the time. So then I have to figure out when he hits the little ones, do I hit them? Now he thinks that's what you're supposed to do when you're mad. So I've got to kind of control my anger and focus so I can get them better. So I think our guys have got to understand throughout the whistle when we're going back and forward, you can go whatever you want within the lines. But once it's over, it's over. So I just think guys have got to be able to flip the switch. I think really good players, they can flip the switch. You can be on the sideline, offense could have fumbled the ball, we've got to get back out. You can flip it and get back and get focused. It doesn't take you a while. Coming out the locker room, first series, you can flip the switch. And I think that's what we're trying to do, get guys to be able to turn it off and turn it on. When you're on the sideline having fun, sudden change, flip the switch. Ball's in the red zone, turnover, flip the switch. So I just think that's kind of what we're trying to tell our guys. It's controlled chaos. You've got to be composed. Competing but disciplined is the key that we're talking about.

On Hillman being like his one-year-old

Now, one thing he does, he's really good with my one-year-old too. So, yeah, he's angry. I mean, when he comes out there, he's trying to – Coach Wink always talks about garage sale, have all these different pieces all over the yard. That's what he's trying to do. But he has to be able to focus so he doesn't miss tackles, right? If you get two big hits but you miss three of them, that's not going to be good. So just trying to show him some tape of some of these NFL pros when they're hitting, trying to knock guys out, but also whenever sometimes it's just better just to get the guy down, to live another down. But what he does the best that I've seen from him is just his effort to the ball. He's always running with his hair on fire, and I think he's going to be a really good player. I mean, this is all new to him. He's going to have a new role being a guy that can be a starter here and all those different things. I think that could be another set of challenges for him. But I love him, all of him.

---

Discuss this article with our community on our premium message boards

Not a subscriber to Maize & Blue Review? Sign up today to gain access to all the latest Michigan intel M&BR has to offer

Follow our staff on Twitter: @JoshHenschke, @Berry_Seth14, @TrevorMcCue, @DennisFithian, @BrockHeilig, @JimScarcelli, @Jerry_Diorio

Subscribe to our podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify

Check out Maize & Blue Review's video content on YouTube

Follow Maize & Blue Review on social media: Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and BlueSky